Scotland depicted as capital of obesity
Marc Horne
GERMAN film-makers are to use Scottish children as the world’s worst example of obesity in their own version of the television show Jamie’s School Dinners.
They are preparing to film a group of teenagers from Huntly in Aberdeenshire, to highlight to their own youngsters the dangers of eating junk food.
Despite attempts by the Scottish executive and VisitScotland to present a positive image of the country abroad, documentary film-makers Sigrun Kohler and Wiltrud Baier said they chose Scotland because it has a reputation for having one of the world’s worst diets.
“Children who love the taste of junk food learn to give up responsibility for their own well-being by eating things whose ingredients and methods of manufacture they are ignorant of,” said Baier. “The sweetie manufacturers are very accomplished in manipulating this taste to the extent that children have become almost addicted.”
In the programme, called HomeMade, the film-makers plan to encourage youngsters from Gordon Primary School to recognise the “absurd ingredients and processes” that go into making junk food.
Kohler said: “We want to create a humourous and playful but educational look at our society and its relation to food and food preparation.”
Documentaries by the pair’s production company, Boller & Brot, have previously been shown on the state-owned German televsion channel SAT3 and at the Cannes film festival.
Clarissa Dickson Wright, the celebrity chef and former rector of Aberdeen University, said: “This is the pot calling the kettle black. I don’t notice Scots children as being particularly obese, quite the opposite in fact. Whereas if you go to Germany you see a lot of fat children.
“I can’t believe we are being lectured on nutrition by the country that gave us the hot dog and the hamburger.”
The Two Fat Ladies star felt Aberdeenshire was a bizarre choice for a documentary about obesity. “Huntly is in a rural area where you find considerably fewer fat children because they have the room to run around.”
Dr Nanette Milne, the Conservative health spokeswoman and north-east list MSP, was equally baffled. “A lot of people in Huntly are of good farming stock and know a good nutritious meal when they see one,” she said.
“Childhood obesity is a problem in Scotland, as it is in every western country, but I do feel these film-makers would have been better off heading to America where the problem is far worse.”
Joanna Strathdee, Scottish National party councillor for Huntly, said: “I am not particularly happy about Huntly being shown as the obesity capital of Scotland, but hopefully this programme will attract tourists to the area.”
Obesity Capital is Scotland
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